Page 86 of Silver Linings
Sirens grew louder in the distance as Gunner watched Hawk walk away from the group. Nothing was making sense to him.
Fuck, his head and side hurt and he just wanted to make the hour drive home right then. A warm shower, some leftovers from the chicken and vegetables Lily had made that night for dinner, and maybe he’d catch her awake at one of Sage’s late night nursing sessions. Gunner would get to kiss Sage and rock her back to sleep. That was just what he needed after the night had turned to shit.
“Reaper!” Hawk’s panicked voice pulled him back into the moment, and the beautiful picture of his girls waiting for him at home disappeared.
“What the fuck is it?” His pulse throbbed in his temples.
“You need to listen to this message, man.”
“Why? What happened?” Gunner caught the phone as Hawk tossed it to him.
“Something’s going on with Lily and Sage.”
Fuck! What the hell had happened? Were they attacked in the apartment? Were they injured?
Listening to the messages, his blood ran cold.
“I need to take the surveillance van, and whoever isn’t going to stay with Stone needs to come with me now because I’m going back to Silver Springs and you’ll have to wait until I get there and can send the van back for you if you don’t.”
“What’s going on?” Stone asked.
“Mae left a message for Hawk saying Sage has a fever. Lily had Mae bring them over to the hospital in Bell Ridge to see what was going on.”
“Shit.”
He punched in Lily’s number again. The line rang until her voicemail picked up.
“And now she’s not answering my call. I want to get a move on, so figure your shit out and then let’s go.”
“I’ll stay with Stone. Just let me know when you have an update, and we’ll take a ride share back if we need to,” Hawk offered.
“Thanks man. I’ll let you know.” Gunner tossed back his phone, then turned to Gage and Nash. “Let’s go.”
The three men ran back to the van. On the way there, Gunner pulled his cell from his pocket, cursing at the cracked screen that stayed dark as he tried to turn it on. His fucking side burned with each breath he took, but he pushed the pain to the back of his mind.
“I need one of you to get a hold of Mae or Lily. My fucking phone is broken and I need to know what’s going on.”
“Guys, what the fuck just happened?” Max’s hardened expression met Gunner as he threw open the driver’s side door.
“We’ll have to fill you in on the way back,” Gage said as he opened the side door to the van.
“I need you to fill me in now. What the hell exploded? I thought you said nothing suspicious was going on over there? I’ve got a forensic team coming here but?—”
“Get the fuck out of the van, Max!” Gunner yelled. “My daughter is in the hospital and you are stopping me from getting to her. Hawk and Stone are still up at the scene and you and your FBI buddies can fuck around with my now burnt to hell truck all you want, but I’m pulling out of here in exactly three seconds and I don’t care if I drag your ass outside the van all the way there with us or not.”
He nodded, wide eyed. “Let me know how she is when you get there.” Max jumped onto the road and started running back to where the guys had left Stone and Hawk.
“Fuck. I hope the forensics team finds something,” Gage mumbled.
“I don’t give two shits about that right now. Keep trying to get through to Lily.”
“I’m sure they’re just busy with the doctors and getting Sage settled if she’s had to be admitted.” Nash looked over as he took the front seat while Gunner slid behind the driver’s wheel. “I’ll try to get through to Mae while you drive. Kids get sick all the time. It’s probably nothing to worry about.”
“Tell that to my fucking heart. It feels like it’s about to beat out of my damn chest.”
“Should I drive?” Gage asked, and Gunner scowled through the rear-view mirror at his buddy.
“You need to work on finding out where the info leak is, and if it’s on our side, Gage, I’m not the only one who is going to be pissed.”